The invention relates generally to a wind turbine and more particularly, to a wind turbine bedplate support frame.
Wind power is considered one of the cleanest, most environmentally friendly energy sources presently available, and wind turbines have gained increased attention in this regard. A modern wind turbine typically includes a tower, generator, gearbox, nacelle, and one or more rotor blades. The nacelle includes a rotor assembly coupled to the gearbox and to the generator. The rotor assembly and the gearbox and mounted on a bedplate support frame located within the nacelle. The one or more rotor blades capture kinetic energy of wind using known airfoil principles. The rotor blades transmit the kinetic energy in the form of rotational energy so as to turn a shaft coupling the rotor blades to a gearbox, or if a gearbox is not used, directly to the generator. The generator then converts the mechanical energy to electrical energy that may be deployed to a utility grid.
Over time, the gearbox and the rotor assembly become less effective in transferring rotational energy to the generator due to wear and tear. Especially, bearings that support the rotor shaft may become worn or completely fail resulting in damaged bearing bores. This may require gearbox to be removed for periodic maintenance. During removing and/or replacing of the gearbox at top of the tower, a yoking structure is placed over the bedplate support frame and over the rotor assembly that is not removed during maintenance. The yoking structure includes a heavy mass for providing stability and support to the rotor assembly during maintenance. As the rotor blades, and the wind turbines in general, increase in size and weight, the task of mounting the yoking structure become increasingly difficult due to the heavy weight. Thus, maintenance of the wind turbine can be costly and time-consuming.
There is therefore a need for an efficient bedplate support frame in a wind turbine for easy handling and stability of the wind turbine during maintenance or operating conditions.